And God spoke in this way,
That his descendants should live in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and ill-treat them for four hundred years.
All Commentaries on Acts 7:6 Go To Acts 7
John Chrysostom
AD 407
See, what a number of years the Promise has been given, and the manner of the Promise, and nowhere sacrifice, nowhere circumcision! He here shows, how God Himself suffered them to be afflicted, not that He had anything to lay to their charge. And they shall bring them into bondage, etc. But nevertheless, they did not these things with impunity. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage I will judge, said God. For, to show that they are not to go by this, in estimating who are pious (by reason of their saying, He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him,) Matthew 27:43.— He, the Same that promised, He that gave the land, first permits the evils. So also now, though He has promised a Kingdom, yet He suffers us to be exercised in temptations. If here the freedom was not to be till after four hundred years, what wonder, with regard to the Kingdom? Yet he performed it, and lapse of time availed not to falsify His word. Moreover, it was no ordinary bondage they underwent. And the matter does not terminate solely in the punishment of those (their oppressors); but they themselves also, He says, shall enjoy a mighty salvation. Here he reminds them too of the benefit which they enjoyed. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so he begot Isaac. Here he lets himself down to lower matters.
